Health Risks of Soda – Why soda is bad for you

It’s becoming well known that we should be avoiding sodas and sugar based drinks. The research has showcased very strong evidence that these drinks are bringing in too many calories that we don’t use, additionally they contain damaging chemicals causing body fat gain and negative health effects. One of the many health risks of soda is the decrease in the health of the Gut. Considering all health begins in the gut, the cascade effect from damaging the gut means we will damage every body system that runs from there; the immune system, our hormone production, neurotransmitter production, and chemical singling to name a few.

As people step away from the sugar filled drinks they quickly begin to start missing something ‘tasty’. We crave sweet foods. When you have a high sugar or chemically sweetened food or drink no natural / whole food will compare – so these diet or sugar free drinks then become an option. Today I want to clear up the reason why these drinks are also damaging to your health.

I see it a lot where just because people get lean doing a certain thing or that because is has no chance of increasing negative weight that is must be ok.

Health Risks of Soda

Your level of body fat is only one indicator of being healthy!

Just recently there was a study done where the participant just ate twinkies (the popular american candy bar)… and he lost weight.

Does that mean a twinkie diet is a good weight loss plan?

I hope the answer first to your mind is a strong NO, just because you can lose body fat from a certain plan or food doesn’t mean it’s good for you. We need to consider the health risks of soda and processed sugar, short and long term.

We know the body uses vitamins and mineral to make certain reactions happen in the body to produce hormones, send signals, repair tissue make us function and if we don’t get these nutrients into the body it will eventually breakdown, normally in the form of a chronic disease, IBS, SIBO, Crohn’s, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, diabetes, cancers and the list unfortunately goes on.

The hard thing for people to grasp is that these are degenerative disease, they happen slowly over time, the straw that breaks the camel’s back is not one bad meal, it’s years and years of a few bad meals, environmental effect, epigenetics, DNA, a few other factors and they all add up. So the effect isn’t right away, so the threat isn’t there, there isn’t a tiger about to attack you if you drink that drink, its a small risk that if you drink this drink the you will feed the ‘tiger’ until it’s big enough to cripple you.

Why is soda so bad for you?

We all know that soda is high in sugars and overconsumption of sugar will cause an imbalance in your gut microbiome between good and bad, Sugar leads to an increase in fast calories and if not used or needed, will get stored as fat – increasing in your waist line which leads to obesity, and then insulin resistance, and then a higher chance of developing diabetes. People who drink soda regularly show signs of increased cholesterol levels, this is where we see a rise in LDL cholesterol & triglycerides, an increase of fat build up around their liver and also their skeletal muscles.

Artificial caramel colouring found in Coke and Pepsi contains two contaminants that have been found to cause cancer in animals. Diet or non diet soda all contain phosphates or phosphoric acid, which is what give these drinks their tangy flavour and also increases their shelf life – but at the expense of yours. Too much of these chemicals have shown to increase ageing and cause other problems like muscle loss, kidney and heart problems and osteoporosis.

Brominated vegetable oil is found in most citrus based and other sport drinks, this chemical is shown to cause memory loss and nerve disorders and diet sodas can still make you fat. Research has suggested that the aspartame can raise blood sugar levels just like sugar does, causing the same effect of weight gain.

Most of these test are on rats so it can be hard to say if the dosage will affect humans in the same way, but why would you run the risk? The main thing I’d like to get across is that any chemical natural or known will have an effect to your health, if the effect is bad then you shouldn’t have it on a regular basis, maybe once a week or less. Keep it for special occasions because I want you to get into your later years and be abled bodied and diseases free, I want you to be strong, fit and healthy and look younger.

Juice is a better option but the amount of sugar found in juice is still going to run the risk of more energy in then you use there for increased body fat

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Daniel Christie – Bio

Daniel Christie

Strength & Conditioning Coach - Sports Nutritionist

Founder and head trainer at Oxford Performance Centre. Daniel has worked in the fitness industry for over 8 years and has been mentored by best in the world. Daniel is recognised as one of the top trainers in the industry. With qualifications in nutrition as well as strength and conditioning.
Daniel is a BioSignature and BioPrint practitioner, specialising in body-fat analysis. Daniel is known for his straight forward no-nonsense training style. With in-depth knowledge in the fields of nutrition, hypotrophy, strength, hormone health, biomechanics, mobility, ART, soft tissue therapy, blood analysis and functional medicine. Daniel has helped countless clients achieve rapid health and fitness goals. Whether it be fat loss, muscle building, athletic performance or for general health. Meet the rest of the team

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